Frequently Asked Questions
What is a property management system?
A property management system is software used to automate the operations of a hotel. It is the hub of a property’s operations — processing reservations, check-ins and check-outs. It keeps track of how many rooms you have left to sell and at what rate. It handles front office accounting, marketing as well as interfacing to other systems such as phone, reservations, restaurant and pay-per-view movies.
What are the primary differences between your web-based PMS (myHMS) and your premise-based PMS, AutoClerk PMS?
AutoClerk’s desktop PMS is a traditional Windows program that requires installation of the software at a location of the hotelier’s choice, be it on computer(s) at the hotel, or off-site at the hotelier’s data center. In contrast, myHMS requires no installation of PMS software because it is a pure web application, so myHMS can run from any smart mobile device (iPhone, iPad, or Android) or any computer (PC or Apple) that simply has a browser and Internet connection. Only myHMS has enterprise functionality.
Both PMS products are full-function products, each the result of many years of software development and refinement. Although both products have similar context sensitive tape-charts with drag & drop functionality, the end-user interaction with myHMS is primarily via two Dashboards —one for managers & one for clerks — whereas the desktop PMS is primarily menu-driven.
Can AutoClerk handle chip credit cards per EMV requirements?
Yes, both our web-based PMS and desktop PMS are EMV (chip) credit card certified and offer hoteliers the following advantages:
✔ Reduce liability/chargebacks – as of Oct. 2015, hoteliers processing credit cards with chips the old-fashioned way (reading magnetic stripe) are now liable for fraud instead of the issuing bank.
✔ Reduce vulnerability to hackers within hotels’ Local Area Network (LAN) — data coming out of the Ingenico or PAX readers is encrypted.
✔ Reduce hotels’ PCI’s footprint – data encrypted by Ingenico readers can only be decrypted by Shift4, and data encrypted by PAX can only be decrypted by Heartland, thus making a hotelier’s PCI compliance easier to achieve.
✔ Meet expectations of security-savvy guests — hotel guests appreciate merchants that take extra steps to protect their credit cards from theft.
✔ Offer guests modern payment alternatives — both Ingenico & PAX readers can be configured to accept to Google Wallet & Apple Pay.
✔ Electronic guest signature — upon check-in, guests can sign using built-in electronic signatures pads on the EMV readers, making signature retrieval easier when necessary to dispute chargebacks.
We are a very seasonal property do we still have to pay our monthly subscription during our off season when we are closed?
If you do not need PMS access whatsoever — not for accounting purposes, nor for interface purposes, such as booking a reservation in the future when property is open — then subscription fees can be waived for the period of time when your property is closed.
What are my CRS/GDS options with your PMS products?
Both our PMS products offer full 2-way connectivity to many CRS (Central Reservation Systems), including our own myCRS™. A CRS can receive rates and inventory from myHMS or AutoClerk’s desktop PMS and extend your inventory and pricing to various channels. These include a Central Reservations Office, Web Booking Engines, GDS (Travel Agents) and IDS (Internet Distribution Channels) channels, which includes 100+ OTA channels, such as Booking.com, Expedia, Orbitz, etc. and many wholesalers, such as Travco, Hotelbeds and Tourico Holidays.
Can you migrate the data off my current PMS?
We routinely import Guest Profiles and reservations from other Property Management Systems. All we require is that this information be provided in a CSV file format with descriptive headers.
Why should I switch my PMS when I do not have any recurring cost with my current one?
Technology is changing quickly, and mandatory PCI security requirements are also changing. If you have no recurring cost for your PMS then chances are that your PMS is not being updated with new technology that can help protect you from cyber attacks and/or fines and penalties because of technical vulnerabilities. It is also very likely that you are neither getting proper support from your provider nor taking advantage of the many revenue-generating distribution channels available today. We have cost reduction tools that will help you manage inventory and staff better.
What makes your solution better?
Our core PMS systems are at the heart of our revenue-generating and management ecosystem, Hotel Complete™. Both of our PMS solutions provide all the basic functionality for efficient and secure management of your hotel. What differentiates us is the additional features designed for today’s competitive internet-powered world. We provide Revenue Management, Channel Management, CRS, Advanced secure credit card processing and many other integrated features — all supported by our 24/7 team of hotel technology and operations experts.
Can you email me a demo?
Our sales team would be happy to provide a personalized demo for you. They can also set up a trial version of our web-based product, myHMS, for you to use. For more information, please email sales@autoclerk.com or give us a call at 925-871-1810.
How long is your contract term?
AutoClerk’s standard contract term is one year, but in certain cases, this term can be negotiated to fit your needs.
Do you have a price list of all products and services?
Our web- based product, myHMS, starts at $2.99/room/month. For all sales inquiries including pricing on our premise-based system and all the interfaces available, please contact our sales department at 925-871-1810.
Is there a demo hotel I can log into to familiarize myself with the system?
Our sales team would be happy to provide a personalized demo for you. They can also set up a trial version of our web-based product, myHMS, for you to use. For more information, please email sales@autoclerk.com or give us a call at 925-871-1810.
What is the time frame to go live if I sign my agreement and pay my deposit?
Setup times vary depending on the needs of the property, but most hotels are up and running within three weeks of signing an agreement. That said, we can have a myHMS customer up and running in less than 24 hours, and an AutoClerk PMS customer up and running within a week if the hotel does not require interfaces to any third party vendors, such as credit card processing or CRS. Our goal is to meet the timeframe expectations of each client. Our implementation managers will expertly guide you through every step of the process.
What sets you apart from your competition?
A One-Stop Shop
We offer a single point of contact for your Property Management System, Revenue Management, Channel Management, CRS and Web Booking, all supported by our expert team. Hotel Complete™ integrates our current browser-based web property management technologies with revenue-building tools so that each member of the hotel team has the information they need at their fingertips. Management benefits from dashboard driven information display that presents actionable results that increase RevPAR.
Experience spanning almost three decades.
With the wisdom of over 25 years serving the hotel industry, AutoClerk’s principles understand what hoteliers need and do NOT need. We are experts in our field and understand the changing, fast-paced technological advances that will help your hotel stay competitive.
Expert technical and operational support, 24×7.
Every one of our support agents is an expert in their field, with at least 5 years of hotel experience prior to working on our support desk.
Powerful group, tape-chart & rates modules
Critical to hotel operations, we designed our modules to be smart, efficient, and easy to use.
Ease-of-use.
If you know hospitality, you will be comfortable using our products within minutes.
Wide array of interfaces.
Our motto is that everyone wants to interface to everything, so we are always reaching towards that ideal.
Security via tokenization.
Our myHMS data-center is one of the first PMS data centers that does not store, process, or transmit cardholder data.
If I use your system do I need any other products and services to connect to the OTA’s?
We have a fully integrated CRS solution, myCRS, so that you need only work with AutoClerk for total distribution. We recognize that you may have current partners with whom you wish to continue to work. AutoClerk interfaces to most of the major distribution channels through CRS and GDS partners. Please contact us to see if your preferred partners are integrated to our systems.
Can you help me cut down on my distribution costs to the OTA’s?
Yes, AutoClerk’s ResOnTheWeb booking engine offers a low-cost TripConnect option whereby hotel guests using www.tripadvisor.com can book a reservation by clicking a button labeled “Official Hotel Site” instead of an OTA button.
And, using our direct-connect features and Revenue Management tools, you will know when to limit or close out discounted distribution to the OTA’s. This provides a net lift in retained revenue to the hotel.
Can guests book rooms directly from the hotel website using your system?
Yes, via AutoClerk’s ResOnTheWeb booking engine for AutoClerk PMS users or myRES booking engine for myHMS users. Both myRES & ResOnTheWeb feature single-image inventory and rates, so hotel availability and rates can never become out of sync with the PMS. And both booking engines are embedded into your hotel’s website seamlessly with the same look and feel, while giving you maximum control over booking from your hotel site.
Get started today!
- Server & Cloud Based Hotel Property Management Software (PMS) starting at $2.99/mo per room